Police in San Francisco are investigating a series of smart car tipping.

It was a dark and stormy night when eight hooded figures lurking in the shadows moved shiftily toward a lone parked car. Okay, so the storm was added for a dramatics boost. But those eight ne’er-do-well characters definitely were set on some vehicular hijinks.

“I thought they looked like they were up to no good,” a witness told a San Francisco television news station about stepping outside to smoke a cigarette and seeing a crew of smart car-tipping vandals hit. “Sure enough they walk up to this smart car right here, all huddle around it and just lift it up and set it on its hind legs.”

While authorities are unsure whether it’s the work of serial car tippers or unrelated cases, they confirm three smart cars have been tipped over the weekend in the city, found by their owners sitting up on their rear ends like little Dachshunds begging for treats. Sure, the tiny two-door coupes still are relatively heavy, weighing in at about 1,800 pounds. But a muscled crew who knows what they’re doing made it look not much tougher than the oh, so yesterday cow tipping.

No word on damage estimates, but police are investigating. Of course, we don’t condone car tipping or anything else that could cause permanent damage of any sort – even the smallest dent – on a friend’s ride. After all, our vehicles are, in many ways, an extension of ourselves and relied upon for our livelihoods. So, if this story has piqued your inner prankster’s interest, we here at E3 Spark Plugs recommend a few hilarious yet harmless options: